Shipping package



y 5, 1949- R. L. BEACH, JR

' SHIPPING PACKAGE Filed Nov. 16, 1-946 T11 1. 24

n Y r r 4W R m 4 m K m m m 8 M m l ml l l l l hm nfl mm An N f m u 8 A 6 m m 4 m m 4 5 rm u N Z M x m D :F- n n a 1 8 m m 1| a T ml lml l h hvnml /l wn l mu m a 4 l 1 4 Ill-Ill. n- HUM 1.3 T 2 w :V m: a F A 4 M Z: W: a nNH V- HHH 5 n. #7 i W n "T 4 3- E 4 2 E #1 .x a .n. .n. muuuunuub nnnHHHHHHHHHHHH E 44 E E a? Patented July UNITED]"sTATEs' PATEN SHIPPING menace 'Ralph L. Beach, Jr., Georgetown, 8. c assignor to International Paper Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York 1 Application November 16, 194.6, Serial No. 710,385

Claims. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in shipping packages and particularly seeks to provide a novel unitary package for the shipment of refrigerators or similar bulky cabinets.

An object of this invention is to provide 8. ship ping carton particularly useful in connection with transportation of refrigerators and which may be readily assembled about a refrigerator vand its mounting skid.

lar flap portions carried by associated wall portions of the container.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character stated in which the side wall portions form a generally rectangular sleeve encompassing the object to be packaged and maintained in spaced relationship therefrom through the use of properly disposed padding material. I

Another object of this invention is. to provide a packaging container of the character stated which is simple in design, r-ugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the nature of which will become more apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawings, the accompanying detailed description, and the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig.- 1 is a horizontal section of the assembled packaging container, th plane of the section being indicated by the line l-I on Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank for forming side wall portions of the container;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank for the internal spacing and padding means;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank for one end closure; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the blank for another end closure.

By reference to the drawings in detail it will strips.

be seen that the invention as illustrated comprises a shipping package in which a skidmounted refrigerator or other :bulky cabinetis supported on double-walled bottom closure members. The body portion of thecabinet is maintained in spaced relation from and cushioned against contact with the side walls of the carton through the medium of suitably disposed padding The corner portions within the carton are occupied by suitably ,folded corrugated board cushioning devices which augment the cushioning efiect of the padding strips and assist in maintaining the refrigerator in its proper position relative to the associated carton. vThe top closure of the package as a whole is formed similar to the bottom closure and in this connection it will be noted that the four edge portions of the top and bottom closure members together with the associated upper edge portions of the side walls of the carton are folded into an interlocking relationship and secured therein by girth straps. I I

In preparing a cabinet A or other object for shipment in accordance with this invention the bottom closure members are first placed in position in the shippingiioor and the cabinet together with its mounting skid B are placed thereon. The bottom closure consists of a pair of generally rectangular closure'elements formed from corrugated board or the like. The bottom element 5 includes a central panel portion 6 having dimensions to completely underlie the cabinet and its associated mounting skid B. Each end of the member 5 is provided with a plurality of score lines 1 which define relatively long, narrow panels la which are adapted to be folded into interlocking relation with similar panels carried by associated side wall portions 01' the carton. A similar bottom closure member 8 is in superimposed position over the member 5 with the corru-' gations of the corrugated board running at right angles to those of the member 5. The member 8 similarly includes a central panel portion 9 and a plurality of score lines It adjacent the ends thereof which define relatively long, narrow panels Illa foldable along the score lines into interlocking relation with similar panels carried by the other side walls of the associated body portion of the carton. It will be appreciated that by providing the two end closure members 5 and 8 disposed with the corrugations running at rightangles to each other an end closure assembly is provided which is of double wall, construction and which is provided around all four I T OFFICE-i tions which may be folded into interlocking engagement with associated portions of the side walls of the carton.

The body portion of the carton is formed from corrugated board and is of generally rectangular cross section having internal dimensions substantially identical with the external dimensions of the skid B to which the cabinet is rigidly aiflxed. In Fig. 3 of the drawings is shown a blank II for one half of the body portion and this is of generally rectangular shape and includes a pair of vertical panels Ha, Ha foldable about a score line l2 to form two side walls of the carton. A similar blank is employed to form the other two side walls of the carton. Each of these blanks is provided on one vertical edge portion with a relatively narrow stitching tab l3. Thus the two blanks H which make up the body portion of the carton may be securely fastened together through the use of stitches or other means along the lines of the stitching tabs 13 which would underlie the edge portion of an associated side wall panel II to thereby form a sleeve-dike body. Whenever a carton constructed in accordance with this invention is to be employed in connection with the packaging of articles of smaller size than the indicated cabinet it will not be necessary to construct the body portion of t e carton from two separate side wall-forming blanks. In such cases a single four-panel blank may be employed with a single stitching tab which would be securely fastened to the opposite end panel of the blank after the blank has been folded to form a sleeve. The upper and lower edges of the side wall-forming blanks are slotted as at It the adjacent end extremities of the score line i2 and define the ends of horizontally disposed flap portions l5 which are adapted to be folded into interlocking engagement with the flap portions 12 and Illa of the end closures 5 and 8. The actual lines of fold of the locking flaps oi the side wall panels are indicated by a plurality of closely spaced, parallel score lines l5a in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

After the cabinet A has been placed on its skid B a centrally disposed circumferential padding strip [6 is secured therearound as by a strap H. The thickness of the padding i6 is such as substantially to fill the space which will be left between the side wall portions of the refrigerator and the side walls of the associated body portion of the carton when the body portion is positioned over the refrigerator. A similar pad I8 is employed adjacent the upper end of the refrigerator and is similarly secured as by a strap [9. 'The front wall portion of the refrigerator is provided with a vertically disposed pad 20 secured by the straps I! and IQ for further cushioning purposes.

After the body portion of the carton has been formed into a sleeve of rectangular cross-section it is slipped down over the cabinet and its associated padding devices. After the sleeve body has been slipped down into place the lower edge panels i5 of each side and end wall portion thereof are bent outwardly and upwardly to form a reverse fold in which the endmost flap or panel is disposed in substantial parallelism with a face of its associated wall. At this point the panels la of the closure member 5 and the panels Illa of the closure member 9 are first bent upwardly parallel to the associated wall portion of the carton body and then the extreme end portions thereof are folded inwardly and downwardly in a reverse fold so that the extreme end portions of the said panels are positioned within the reverse fold formed by the panels I5 and the assogenerally indicated-at 22 which includes a relatively long and narrow centrally disposed panel portion 23 and a plurality of long and narrow panel portions 24 at each end thereof which are defined by a like number of spaced parallel score lines 24a. By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be seen that the blank 22 is interposed between the side walls of the cabinet and the associated side wall portions of the carton body with its central panel 23 in face to face contact with the associated carton wall. The panels at one end of the blank 22 are folded about the score lines 24a in the manner clearly indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings to provide a vertically disposed cushioning or padding girder of generally trapezoidal cross-section which engages the forward corner portions of the cabinet and aids in maintaining proper spacing and relative immobility between the cabinet and the associated carton. The panels at the other end of the blank 22 are folded about the score lines 24a to provide a similar girder-like pad or cushion of generally rectangular cross section which functions in the same manner in association with the rear corners of the packaged cabinet. Thus the belts of padding material I6 and i8 to ether with the corrugated board padding structures formed from the blank 22 serve to maintain proper spacing between the various wall portions of the cabinet and carton and also serve to cushion the packaged cabinet against any jolting which may occur during shipment.

After the padding formed from the blanks 22 has been inserted within the package the top closure is positioned thereon and secured in place to complete the package. The top closure is identical in structure to the bottom closure and consists of similarly positioned closure-forming elements 5 and 8, having outwardly extended end portions folded into interlocking engagement with reverse folds formed by the upper panels i5 on the associated side and end walls of the carton and secured in such interlocked position through the use of straps 2|.

Thus it will be seen that the herein disclosed invention provides a new and useful package particularly adapted for the shipping of relatively large refrigerators or cabinets of a similar nature, which is fabricated from corrugated board, which includes rigidly secured end closures, which provides for internal padding and bracing of the packaged article and which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

It is, of course, to be understood that various details of arrangements and proportions of parts may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A package of the class described formed from paperboard and comprising a cabinet-mounting skid, a cabinet mounted on said skid, and a carton surrounding said skid and said cabinet and including side and end walls and top and bottom closures, the upper and lower edge portions of each of said side and end walls being reversetion with their longer dimensions at right angles to each other and having end portions extending outwardly beyond the planes of the respectively associated side and end walls and folded into interlocking engagement with the said reverse folded edge portions of said side and end walls. and means to secure all of said interlocking end portions in interlocking position.

2. A package of the class described formed from paperboard and comprising a cabinet-mounting skid, a cabinet mounted on said'skid, and a carton surrounding said skid and said cabinet and including side and end walls and top and bottom closures, the upper and lower edge portions of each of said side and end walls being reversefolded outwardly to provide closure locking flanges, each of said top and bottom closures consisting of a pair, of generally rectangular sheets of paperboard disposed in superposed relation with their longer dimensions at right angles to each other and having end portions extending outwardly beyond the planes of the respectively associated side and end walls and folded into interlocking engagement with the said reverse folded edge portions of said side and end walls, and girth straps encircling said carton in the areas of said interlocking end portions for securing the same in interlocking position.

, 3. A package of the class described formed from paperboard and comprising a cabinet-mounting I skid, a cabinet mounted on said skid, and a carton surrounding said skid and said cabinet and including side and end walls and top and bottom closures, ,the upper and lower edge portions of each of said side and end walls being reversefolded outwardly to provide closure locking flanges, each of said top and bottom closures consisting of a pair of generally rectangular sheets of paperboard disposed in superposed relation with their longer dimensions at right angles .to each other and having end portions extending outwardly beyond the planes of the respectively associated side and end walls and folded into interlocking engagement with the said reverse folded edge portions of said side and end walls, means to secure all of said interlocking end portions in interlocking position, and devices formed from separate sheets of paperboard and removably positioned within said carton and engageable with vertical corner edge portions of said cabinet for cushioning said cabinet against jolting and normally effective for maintaining said cabinet relatively immovable with respect to said carton.

4. A package of the class described formed from paperboard and comprising a cabinet mounting skid, a cabinet mounted on said skid, and a carton surrounding said skid and saidcabinet and in-- cluding side and end walls and top and bottom closures, the upper and lower edge portions of each of said side and end walls being reversefolded outwardly to provide closure -locking flanges, eachof said top and bottom closures consistin of. a pair of generally rectangular sheets of paperboard disposed in superposed relation with their longer dimensions at right angles toeach other and having end portions extending outwardly beyond the planes of the respectively associated side and end walls and folded into interlocking engagement with the said reverse folded edge portions of said side and end'walls,

means to secure all of said interlocking end portions in interlocking position, padding means detachably secured to said cabinet for maintaining the side and end walls of said carton in spaced relation to the associated wall portions of said cabinet, and means removably positioned within said carton and engageable with said padding means in the areas of vertical comer edge portions of said cabinet for cushioning said cabinet against jolting and normally efiective for maintaining said cabinet relatively immovable with respect to said carton.

5. An end closure for a shipping carton formed from corrugated board and having side and end walls including marginal end edge portions reverse-folded outwardly to provide closure locking flanges comprising a pair of generally rectangular sheets of corrugated board disposed in superposed relation with the corrugations thereof at right angles .to each other and each sheet having opposed end portions extending outwardly beyond the planes of the respectively associated side and end walls and folded into interlockin engagement with the said reverse folded edge portions of said side and end walls whereby to form a double-walled end closure for said shipping carton, and means to secure all of said interlocking end and closure portions in interlocking position.

RALPH L. BEACH, Jn.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

